1975 Triumph TR6

This is one of those lucky cars that has had a succession of careful owners throughout its life who have maintained a very high standard of care. Originally a US-export car, the Triumph was repatriated in the early Nineties (there’s a photo of it in the UK in LHD form) and was almost immediately converted to right hand-drive. State-side, the car lived in Georgia - not a terribly unkind climate - while in the UK it resided first in Sussex and then Oxfordshire. Whatever weather-derived woes it did or didn’t experience, the owner prior to seller, Bob, undertook an extensive rebuild of the car (bodywork and suspension).

‘It had a lot of work done,’ recounts Bob; ‘It had a bare metal respray including the underside, as well as new inner wings. It also had a full suspension rebuild, including new [adjustable] dampers and springs.’ However, due to health issues, the owner ‘ran out of steam’ and so sold the car on to him.

Bob concentrated on the mechanical side of the Triumph and went on to rebuild the engine;

‘The bores were honed,’ he explains. ‘Amongst other things, I replaced the piston rings and big end shells.’ He also added power steering.

Of course, it’s hard to judge a restorer’s skill, but we’ve taken a sneaky peek around Bob’s (and his associates’) workshop - and the standard of the work completed looks to be very high. And when the ‘Six’ starts up with that characteristically gruff exhaust bark, you think; yes, that’s a ‘right’ car.

This utterly gorgeous TR6 has benefitted from the writer viewing the car at the time of photography, and therefore, has been able to describe the car firsthand.......

The car looks very well in this lighter shade of French blue - a nice change from so many red examples. It was resprayed around 1999-2000 and the paint has retained an excellent gloss with a type of finish that looks fitting for cars of this period. There are no apparent polishing swirl marks in the top coat and the colour is consistent across all panels. Nor does the colour fade - or discolour as you peer under doors or into door cavities - clean, fresh-looking paint, and no grime or rust. Seams between panels (think rear wings and panel behind boot) are similarly good with none of the oft-seen cracking. There are a couple of very small inconsistencies in the finish; tiny bubbles around top of headlight mount on front near-side wing (and the very tiniest on the other side) - but you have to look hard to see it.

A close inspection of the spaces behind the wheels finds that equal care has been taken in finishing - and cleaning - these ‘invisible’ areas too.

Mirroring - literally - the paintwork, the chrome is also in fine fettle, giving an almost supernatural brightness, while showing no discolouration and only the odd faint trace of pitting in tiny areas - such as one the mirror mounts. What’s also nice to see is that all the brackets holding bumpers and grills in place are also in equally fine form. Bumpers are excellent and firmly mounted, as is the sturdy suitcase rack on the boot lid.

The somewhat austere lines of the TR6 would quickly show any inconsistencies in the panel work, but this example’s flanks, as well as bonnet and boot lid, appear smooth and dent-free. Panel gaps too are consistent - if not the narrowest, though that is more a legacy of its British Leyland builders, rather than anything to do with the car’s upkeep over the years. The Triumph had new inner wings during the body’s refurbishment, but structurally, everything looks pukka.

Just like the outside, everything in the cockpit of this thoroughly British roadster looks like it’s had no more than three or four years use - if that. Patina carries too strong an inference of wear to be used here. The seats are virtually crease-free, the carpets clean - and not curling at the edges - and the woodwork shows no scuffs from rings or fingernails. Everything retains its rich, dense black pigment. The figuring of the wood burr is not faded and the lacquer shows no cracks. Nor has the book-matched wood started to show its seams. There is generally no corrosion in screw heads (often a give-away to a skimmed over refresh)

There is perhaps a little wear to the boss of the steering wheel (okay, I’m trying to find something to frown at), though ironically, that is new - replaced on Bob’s watch - and very nice and in character it is too. It’s worth mentioning that the wheel matches the dash very well and that the finish to both is glossy and rich. So many TRs can look very faded and washed out in this area.

Door cards appear new and have not warped. The door handles and window winders remain firmly mounted, brightly finished, and have not scuffed the black vinyl behind them. Talking of opening doors - and as stated before - it’s reassuring to look into the door cavities and see the (good) condition of the hinges and the nicely greased control arms. The door seal rubbers, and those around the windscreen are also in good condition.

The soft-top looks to be new, folding easily down on a frame that is straight and operates smoothly. Its cover fits easily and the press-studs all line up and snap into place. Both share the deep black finish of the interior and show no signs of cracking (rear window included), discolouration or mould. There is also a tonneau to go over the passenger seat should you be driving solo - a nice touch, which you don’t often see.

As above - so below; the theme of well-executed renovation and thorough maintenance is continued under the car. The front chin spoiler shows no grazes or curb/pothole-related dings. The sills too look (and sound when tapped) to be sturdy. Going further under the Triumph, all the body-coloured surfaces retain a good finish and the underseal looks freshly applied - with no gaps or peeling. Chassis rails look strong.

The suspension; ball joints, track rod ends, springs, mountings etc, looks to be in fine fettle. Nothing is seized up or corroded. The diff and drive shafts look to be in particularly fine form (Bob’s work), and the whole underside of the car inspires confidence.

Thinking of Bob’s work again - and moving into the engine bay - its neatness and attention to detail again show careful stewardship as well as an understanding of how to keep a classic fit for modern roads. Down by the (driver’s side) corner of the radiator, you’ll see the pump for the power steering. Its careful positioning makes it appear as if there since the car was new. Like everything else under the bonnet, it is clean and properly mounted. Everything around it looks to be in ‘nearly new’ condition - no signs of leaks, stains or discolouration. Cables and hoses look clean and supple and jubilee clips hold no surface corrosion. The K&N air filters are in good nick too. Oh - and as you can see - the car retains its US-spec Stromberg carburettors. Below the shiny TR6 cowl, there is a big electric fan - installed by Bob.

The under-bonnet paint finish is again consistent and well executed, and the general detailing of the bay, although not ‘concours’, inspires the utmost confidence in how the car has been run and maintained.

Service history doesn’t really do justice to the ‘paperwork’ that comes with this TR6. It’s more a ‘chronicle’; part owner genealogy, part service record, that logs more or less everything done to the car from the time it returned to its home shores. It’s a pity there are no photographs of the bare metal repaint (there is a pic of the car in lhd form), but the sheer number of retained invoices/quotes leave you in no doubt as to the dedication of successive owners in seeing that the car was kept up to scratch.

Bob’s own upgrading and engine rebuilding adds some £4k worth of invoices to the tome, though of course, this doesn’t log the considerable man-hours needed to execute the work. As said before - looking around at his other work (as well as under the bonnet) suggests that everything was carried out with precision, understanding and care.

Reassuringly, from the perspective of the next owner, much of the restoration/upgrading work has been carried out in the latter days, so whoever buys this car will probably be the one to most benefit.

The Triumph also comes with a BMI Heritage certificate.

For us, this is one of those cars that ticks all the boxes; condition, colour, provenance, service history etc. It’s a great example of a stalwart model from a legendary maker. And it’s had a few little tweaks that make it even better to drive on modern roads. Okay - it’s a marginally less powerful (US) carburettor’d version, but would you take a slightly higher power output over this condition? (Many comment that the difference in performance is hardly noticeable). It really doesn’t get a lot better than this and, as such, we expect it to command a value of between £20,000 and £24,000, but with its reserve set even lower.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the seller in Halifax, West Yorkshire; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.